Adobe 22011302 User manual

USER GUIDE

ADOBE

®

AUDITION

®

3

Copyright

Adobe® Audition® 3.0 User Guide for Windows®

If this guide is distributed with software that includes an end user agreement, this guide, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or

copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. Except as permitted by any such license, no part of this guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans-

mitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Adobe Systems Incorporated.Pleasenotethatthe

content in this guide is protected under copyright law even if it is not distributed with software that includes an end user license agreement.

Thecontentofthisguideisfurnishedforinformationaluseonly,issubjecttochangewithoutnotice,andshouldnotbeconstruedasacommitmentbyAdobe Systems Incorpo-

rated. Adobe Systems Incorporated assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the informational content contained in this guide.

Please remember that existing artwork or images that you may want to include in your project may be protected under copyright law. The unauthorized incorporation of such

material into your new work could be a violation of the rights of the copyright owner. Please be sure to obtain any permission required from the copyright owner.

Any references to company names in sample templates are for demonstration purposes only and are not intended to refer to any actual organization.

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Adobe Audition, Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Creative Suite, and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incor-

porated in the United States and/or other countries.

Dolby is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other

countries. Apple, Mac OS, and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. DEC is a trademark of DigitalEquipmentCorporation.

Sun is a trademark or registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

MPEG Layer 3 audio compression technology is licensed by Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson.

mp3PRO audio coding technologies licensed from Coding Technologies, Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson Multimedia.

ReWire is a Propellerhead product.

Notice to U.S. Government end users: The Software and Documentation are “Commercial Items,” as that term is defined at 48 C.F.R. §2.101, consisting of “Commercial Computer

Software” and “Commercial Computer Software Documentation,” as such terms are used in 48 C.F.R. §12.212 or 48 C.F.R. §227.7202, as applicable. Consistent with 48 C.F.R.

§12.212 or 48 C.F.R. §§227.7202-1 through 227.7202-4, as applicable, the Commercial Computer Software and Commercial Computer Software Documentation are being

licensed to U.S. Government end users (a) only as Commercial Items and (b) with only those rights as are granted to all other end users pursuant to the terms and conditions

herein. Unpublished-rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States. Adobe agrees to comply with all applicable equal opportunity laws including, if appropriate,

the provisions of Executive Order 11246, as amended, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (38 USC 4212), and Section 503 of the

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the regulations at 41 CFR Parts 60-1 through 60-60, 60-250, and 60-741. The affirmative action clause and regulations contained in

the preceding sentence shall be incorporated by reference.

Adobe Systems Incorporated, 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, California 95110, USA.

iii

Contents

Chapter 1: Getting started

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

New features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 2: Digital audio fundamentals

Understanding sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Digitizing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Chapter 3: Workflow and workspace

Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Viewing, zooming, and navigating audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Customizing workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Managing workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chapter 4: Setting up Adobe Audition

Connecting to inputs and outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Setting Adobe Audition preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Managing temporary files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Chapter 5: Importing, recording, and playing audio

Opening audio files in Edit View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Opening and adding to sessions in Multitrack View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Importing with the Files panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Importing with Adobe Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Importing audio from CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Getting ready for recording and playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Recording audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Monitoring recording and playback levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Chapter 6: Editing audio files

Displaying audio in Edit View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Selecting audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Copying, cutting, pasting, and deleting audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Visually fading and changing amplitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Working with markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Creating and deleting silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Inverting and reversing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Generating audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Analyzing phase, frequency, and amplitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Converting sample types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Recovery and undo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

iv

Chapter 7: Applying effects

Shared effects controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Applying effects in Edit View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Applying effects in Multitrack View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Adding third-party plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Chapter 8: Effects reference

Amplitude and compression effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Delay and echo effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Filter and equalizer effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Modulation effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Restoration effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Reverb effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Special effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Stereo imagery effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Time and pitch manipulation effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Multitrack effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Chapter 9: Mixing multitrack sessions

Multitrack View overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Basic track controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Track routing and EQ controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Arranging clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Editing clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Automating mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Synchronizing sessions with ReWire and SMPTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Setting advanced session properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Chapter 10: Composing with MIDI

MIDI sequencing basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Importing, recording, and outputting MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Displaying and editing MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Chapter 11: Loops

Using loops in Multitrack View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Creating loops in Edit View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Chapter 12: Working with video

Working with video applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Importing video and working with video clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

Previewing video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Chapter 13: Creating surround sound

Surround sound basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Setting track pan and volume for surround mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Previewing and exporting surround mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

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Chapter 14: Saving and exporting

Saving and exporting files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

Audio file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Video file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

Adding file information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Chapter 15: Automating tasks

Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Normalizing groups of files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

Batch processing files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Chapter 16: Building audio CDs

Assembling CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264

Writing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Chapter 17: Keyboard shortcuts

Finding and customizing shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

Default keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270

Chapter 18: Digital audio glossary

Common audio terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

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Chapter 1: Getting started

Before you begin working with your software, take a few moments to read an overview of installation, online Help,

and the many resources available to users. You have access to instructional videos, plug-ins, templates, user commu-

nities, and much more.

Installation

Requirements

❖ To review complete system requirements and recommendations for your Adobe® software, see the Read Me file

on the installation disc.

Install the software

1 Close any other Adobe applications open on your computer.

2 Insert the installation disc into the disc drive, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Note: For more information, see the Read Me file on the installation disc.

Activate the software

Ifyouhaveasingle-userretaillicenseforyourAdobesoftware,youwillbeaskedtoactivateyoursoftware;thisisa

simple, anonymous process that you must complete within 30 days of starting the software.

For more information on product activation, see the Read Me file on your installation disc, or visit the Adobe website

at www.adobe.com/go/activation.

1 If the Activation dialog box isn’t already open, choose Help > Activate.

2 Follow the on-screen instructions.

Note: If you want to install the software on a different computer, you must first deactivate it on your computer. Choose

Help > Deactivate.

Register

Register your product to receive complimentary installation support, notifications of updates, and other services.

❖ To register, follow the on-screen instructions in the Registration dialog box, which appears after you install and

activate the software.

If you postpone registration, you can register at any time by choosing Help > Registration.

Read Me

The installation disc contains the Read Me file for your software. (This file is also copied to the application folder

during product installation.) Open the file to read important information about topics such as the following:

• System requirements

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• Installation (including uninstalling the software)

• Activation and registration

• Font installation

• Troubleshooting

• Customer support

• Legal notices

Resources

Adobe Help resources

Documentation for your Adobe software is available in a variety of formats.

In-product and LiveDocs Help

In-product Help provides access to all documentation and instructional content available at the time the software

ships. It is available through the Help menu in your Adobe software.

LiveDocs Help includes all the content from in-product Help, plus updates and links to additional instructional

content available on the web. Find LiveDocs Help for your product in the Adobe Help Resource Center, at

www.adobe.com/go/documentation.

Think of Help, both in the product and on the web, as a hub for accessing additional content and communities of

users. The most complete and up-to-date version of Help is always on the web.

Adobe PDF documentation

The in-product Help is also available as a PDF that is optimized for printing. Other documents, such as installation

guides and white papers, may also be provided as PDFs.

All PDF documentation is available through the Adobe Help Resource Center, at www.adobe.com/go/documen-

tation. To see the PDF documentation included with your software, look in the Documents folder on the installation

or content DVD.

Printed documentation

Printed user guides are available for purchase in the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/go/store, where you can also

find books published by Adobe publishing partners.

Extras

You have access to a wide variety of resources that help you make the most of your Adobe software. Some of these

resources are installed on your computer during the setup process; additional helpful samples and documents are

included on the installation or content disc. Unique extras are also offered online by the Adobe Exchange

community.

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Installed resources

During software installation, a number of plug-ins and presets are added to the application folder. Plug-ins provide

effects for audio processing and VST instruments for MIDI sequencing. Presets include a collection of effect settings

optimized for specific sonic results. If you don’t want to create an effect from scratch, start with presets for inspi-

ration.

Content on CD and DVD

On the installation disc, the Documentation folder contains a PDF version of Help, technical information, and other

documents such as reference guides and specialized feature information.

In addition to the installation disc, Adobe Audition® includes the Loopology DVD. This disc provides thousands of

royalty-free loops, plus ready-made music beds and professional sample sessions.

Adobe Exchange

For more free content, visit www.adobe.com/go/exchange, an online community where users download and share

thousands of free actions, extensions, plug-ins, and other content for use with Adobe products.

Adobe Design Center

Adobe Design Center offers articles, inspiration, and instruction from industry experts, top designers, and Adobe

publishing partners. New content is added monthly.

You can find hundreds of tutorials for design products and learn tips and techniques through videos, HTML

tutorials, and sample book chapters.

New ideas are the heart of Think Tank, Dialog Box, and Gallery:

• ThinkTankarticlesconsiderhowtoday’sdesignersengagewithtechnologyandwhattheirexperiencesmeanfor

design, design tools, and society.

• In Dialog Box, experts share new ideas in motion graphics and digital design.

• The Gallery showcases how artists communicate design in motion.

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Visit Adobe Design Center at www.adobe.com/designcenter.

Adobe Developer Center

Adobe Developer Center provides samples, tutorials, articles, and community resources for developers who build

rich Internet applications, websites, mobile content, and other projects using Adobe products. The Developer Center

also contains resources for developers who develop plug-ins for Adobe products.

In addition to sample code and tutorials, you'll find RSS feeds, online seminars, SDKs, scripting guides, and other

technical resources.

Visit Adobe Developer Center at www.adobe.com/go/developer.

Customer support

VisittheAdobeSupportwebsite,atwww.adobe.com/support, to find troubleshooting information for your product

and to learn about free and paid technical support options. Click the Training link for access to Adobe Press books,

a variety of training resources, Adobe software certification programs, and more.

Downloads

Visit www.adobe.com/go/downloads to find free updates, tryouts, and other useful software. In addition, the Adobe

Store (at www.adobe.com/go/store) provides access to thousands of plug-ins from third-party developers, helping

you to automate tasks, customize workflows, create specialized professional effects, and more.

Adobe Labs

Adobe Labs gives you the opportunity to experience and evaluate new and emerging technologies and products from

Adobe.

At Adobe Labs, you have access to resources such as these:

• Prerelease software and technologies

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• Code samples and best practices to accelerate your learning

• Early versions of product and technical documentation

• Forums, wiki-based content, and other collaborative resources to help you interact with like-minded developers

Adobe Labs fosters a collaborative software development process. In this environment, customers quickly become

productive with new products and technologies. Adobe Labs is also a forum for early feedback, which the Adobe

development teams use to create software that meets the needs and expectations of the community.

Visit Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/labs.

User communities

User communities feature forums, blogs, and other avenues for users to share technologies, tools, and information.

Users can ask questions and find out how others are getting the most out of their software. User-to-user forums are

available in English, French, German, and Japanese; blogs are posted in a wide range of languages.

To participate in forums or blogs, visit www.adobe.com/communities.

New features

What’s new

Record and mix

Adobe Audition 3.0 is a powerful tracking and mixing application. Mix faster with new automatic crossfades, clip

fade handles, and automation-editing improvements. Take full advantage of the latest hardware with multicore

processor support and an optimized mixing engine.

VST plug-in manager Quickly enable or disable specific VST plug-ins, optimizing performance. (See “Enable VST

effects” on page 110.)

Auto crossfades and clip fade handles Simply overlap clips to crossfade them, and adjust fade curves with on-clip

handles. (See “Fade or crossfade clips in a track” on page 197.)

Improved multitrack editing Efficiently edit sessions with these key enhancements:

• Collectively trim and fade grouped clips. (See “Grouping clips” on page 192.)

• Ripple-delete ranges of clips, instantly removing time gaps. (See “Trimming and extending clips” on page 195.)

• Adjust selected ranges of automation points. (See “Edit automation envelopes” on page 207.)

• Duplicate the contents of entire tracks, including clips, effects, and automation. (See “Duplicate a track” on

page 184.)

• Simultaneously view all input and output levels to comprehensively monitor a mix. (See “Monitor levels” on

page 63.)

XML session support Save sessions to XML format and other shared standards for multitrack applications. (See

“Save multitrack sessions” on page 241.)

Mix down directly to Edit View Quickly output a session directly to Edit View, without first exporting a file. (See

“Create a single audio clip from multiple clips” on page 201.)

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Video previews for surround mixes Watch a preview in the Video panel while adjusting mixes in the Surround

Encoder. (See “Previewing video” on page 229.)

Create and arrange

Adobe Audition 3.0 offers powerful and extensive looping capabilities, as well as support for VST instruments,

making it easy to create and arrange great-sounding music. Improved processing, including the high-quality Radius

time-stretching engine from iZotope and numerous new effects, gives you infinite creative options.

MIDI tracks and piano-roll editor Import, record, and edit MIDI, and output it through VST instruments or

hardware synthesizers. (See Composing with MIDI.)

New effects Explore creative sonic possibilities with Convolution Reverb, Analog Delay, Guitar Suite, and other new

effects. (See Effects reference.)

Radius time-stretching from iZotope Access industry-standard algorithms in the updated Stretch effect, as well as

the File Info and Audio Clip Looping dialog boxes.

Bitmap audio images Export spectral graphs for detailed editing in an image-editor like Adobe Photoshop®. Or,

import visually-oriented graphics as source material for experimental sound designs. (See “Spectral Bitmap Image

(.bmp)” on page 250 and “Import a bitmap image as audio” on page 44.)

Improved CD ripping Automatically import track information from your favorite CD database. (See “Extract CD

tracks with the Extract Audio From CD command” on page 51.)

Enhanced file sorting Sort files by track number, or by the date they were opened or created. (See “Change how files

appear in the Files panel” on page 49.)

Customizable workspaces Tint panels and dialog boxes to suit your working style. Add favorite commands to the

shortcut bar. (See “Change interface brightness or tint” on page 29 and “Display the shortcut bar” on page 27.)

Edit and master

Adobe Audition 3.0 includes a full set of editing, restoration, and mastering tools that give you unprecedented flexi-

bility and control. Comprehensive waveform-editing tools combined with innovative spectral frequency brushes let

you edit with power and precision. The new Mastering effect, phase correction tools, and Top/Tail view make Adobe

Audition 3.0 the ideal audio editing and mastering environment.

Spot Healing Brush Quickly brush over artifacts to seamlessly remove them. (See “Select artifacts and repair them

automatically” on page 74.)

Effects Paintbrush Create free-form selections, and layer brush strokes to determine the intensity of effects. (See

“Select spectral ranges” on page 73.)

Marquee pan and phase selections Process discrete stereo information such as center-panned vocals in Spectral Pan

Display or out-of-phase audio in Spectral Phase Display. (See “Select spectral ranges” on page 73.)

Play spectral selections Play back selected frequency, pan, and phase ranges to precisely restore and process audio.

(See “Play audio linearly” on page 60.)

On-clip fade and gain controls Visually adjust selections or entire files. (See “Visually fading and changing

amplitude” on page 78.)

Top/Tail View Fine-tune loop transitions by simultaneously viewing the beginning and end of files. (See “View the

top and tail of an audio file” on page 71.)

Mastering effect Optimize audio for maximum impact with a series of professional processors. (See “Mastering

effect” on page 161.)

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Adaptive noise reduction Quickly correct a wide range of variable broadband noise. (See “Adaptive Noise Reduction

effect” on page 141.)

Graphic Panner Visually adjust the stereo field to enhance spatial perception. (See “Graphic Panner effect” on

page 165.)

Play lists Organize and play marker ranges for live performance and broadcast. (See “Creating play lists” on

page 85.)

Efficient file opening and saving Specify default formats for Open and Save As dialog boxes, and quickly save groups

of files to one format. (See “System preferences” on page 34 and “Save a group of audio files to one format” on

page 240.)

8

Chapter 2: Digital audio fundamentals

Understanding sound

Sound fundamentals

Sound starts with vibrations in the air, like those produced by guitar strings, vocal cords, or speaker cones. These

vibrations push nearby air molecules together, raising the air pressure slightly. The air molecules under pressure then

push on the air molecules surrounding them, which push on the next set of molecules, and so on. As high-pressure

areas move through the air, they leave low-pressure areas behind them. When these waves of pressure changes reach

us, they vibrate the receptors in our ears, and we hear the vibrations as sound.

When you see a visual waveform that represents audio, it reflects these waves of air pressure. The zero line in the

waveform is the pressure of air at rest. When the line swings up to a peak, it represents higher pressure; when the line

swings down to a trough, it represents lower pressure.

A sound wave represented as a visual waveform

A. Zero line B. Low-pressure area C. High-pressure area

Waveform measurements

Several measurements describe waveforms:

Amplitude Reflects the change in pressure from the peak of the waveform to the trough. High-amplitude waveforms

are loud; low-amplitude waveforms are quiet.

Cycle Describes a single, repeated sequence of pressure changes, from zero pressure, to high pressure, to low

pressure, and back to zero.

Frequency Measured in hertz (Hz), describes the number of cycles per second. (For example, a 1000-Hz waveform

has 1000 cycles per second.) The higher the frequency, the higher the musical pitch.

Phase Measured in 360 degrees, indicates the position of a waveform in a cycle. Zero degrees is the start point,

followed by 90º at high pressure, 180º at the halfway point, 270º at low pressure, and 360º at the end point.

Wavelength Measured in units such as inches or centimeters, is the distance between two points with the same

degree of phase. As frequency increases, wavelength decreases.

B

A

C

0

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A single cycle at left; a complete, 20-Hz waveform at right

A. Wav eleng th B. Degree of phase C. Amplitude D. One second

How sound waves interact

When two or more sound waves meet, they add to and subtract from each other. If their peaks and troughs are

perfectly in phase, they reinforce each other, resulting in a waveform that has higher amplitude than either individual

waveform.

In-phase waves reinforce each other.

If the peaks and troughs of two waveforms are perfectly out of phase, they cancel each other out, resulting in no

waveform at all.

Out-of-phase waves cancel each other out.

In most cases, however, waves are out of phase in varying amounts, resulting in a combined waveform that is more

complex than individual waveforms. A complex waveform that represents music, voice, noise, and other sounds, for

example, combines the waveforms from each sound together.

Because of its unique physical structure, a single instrument can create extremely complex waves. That’s why a violin

and a trumpet sound different even when playing the same note.

Two simple waves combine to create a complex wave.

C

A

B

A

D

0

º

90

º

270

º

180

º

360

º

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Digitizing audio

Comparing analog and digital audio

In analog and digital audio, sound is transmitted and stored very differently.

Analog audio: positive and negative voltage

A microphone converts the pressure waves of sound into voltage changes in a wire: high pressure becomes positive

voltage, and low pressure becomes negative voltage. When these voltage changes travel down a microphone wire,

they can be recorded onto tape as changes in magnetic strength or onto vinyl records as changes in groove size. A

speaker works like a microphone in reverse, taking the voltage signals from an audio recording and vibrating to re-

create the pressure wave.

Digital audio: zeroes and ones

Unlike analog storage media such as magnetic tape or vinyl records, computers store audio information digitally as

a series of zeroes and ones. In digital storage, the original waveform is broken up into individual snapshots called

samples. This process is typically known as digitizing or sampling the audio, but it is sometimes called analog-to-

digital conversion.

When you record from a microphone into a computer, for example, analog-to-digital converters transform the

analog signal into digital samples that computers can store and process.

Sample rate

Sample rate indicates the number of digital snapshots taken of an audio signal each second. This rate determines the

frequency range of an audio file. The higher the sample rate, the closer the shape of the digital waveform is to that of

theoriginalanalogwaveform.Lowsamplerateslimittherangeoffrequenciesthatcanberecorded,whichcanresult

in a recording that poorly represents the original sound.

Two sample rates

A. Low sample rate that distorts the original sound wave. B. High sample rate that perfectly reproduces the original sound wave.

To reproduce a given frequency, the sample rate must be at least twice that frequency. (See “Nyquist frequency” on

page 277.) For example, CDs have a sample rate of 44,100 samples per second, so they can reproduce frequencies up

to 22,050 Hz, which is beyond the limit of human hearing, 20,000 Hz.

Here are the most common sample rates for digital audio:

A

B

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Bit depth

Just as sample rate determines frequency range, bit depth determines dynamic range. When a sound wave is sampled,

each sample is assigned the amplitude value closest to the original wave’s amplitude. Higher bit depth provides more

possible amplitude values, producing greater dynamic range, a lower noise floor, and higher fidelity:

Higher bit depths provide greater dynamic range.

Audio file contents and size

An audio file on your hard drive, such as a WAV file, consists of a small header indicating sample rate and bit depth,

and then a long series of numbers, one for each sample. These files can be very large. For example, at 44,100 samples

per second and 16 bits per sample, a file requires 86 KB per second—about 5 MB per minute. That figure doubles to

10 MB per minute for a stereo CD, which has two channels.

In contrast to a digital audio file, a MIDI file might be as small as 10 KB per minute, so you can store up to 100

minutes of MIDI per megabyte. For more information, see “Understanding MIDI data and VST instruments” on

page 213.

Sample rate Quality level Frequency range

11,025 Hz Poor AM radio (low-end multimedia) 0–5,512 Hz

22,050 Hz Near FM radio (high-end multimedia) 0–11,025 Hz

32,000 Hz Better than FM radio (standard broadcast rate) 0–16,000 Hz

44,100 Hz CD 0–22,050 Hz

48,000 Hz Standard DVD 0–24,000 Hz

96,000 Hz High-end DVD 0–48,000 Hz

Bit depth Quality level Amplitude values Dynamic range

8-bit Telephony 256 48 dB

16-bit CD 65,536 96 dB

24-bit DVD 16,777,216 144 dB

32-bit Best 4,294,967,296 192 dB

192 dB

144 dB

48 dB

0 dB

96 dB

8-bit

16-bit 24-bit 32-bit

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How Adobe Audition digitizes audio

When you record audio in Adobe Audition, the sound card starts the recording process and specifies what sample

rate and bit depth to use. Through Line In or Microphone In ports, the sound card receives analog audio and digitally

samples it at the specified rate. Adobe Audition stores each sample in sequence until you stop recording.

When you play a file in Adobe Audition, the process happens in reverse. Adobe Audition sends a series of digital

samples to the sound card. The card reconstructs the original waveform and sends it as an analog signal through Line

Out ports to your speakers.

To summarize, the process of digitizing audio starts with a pressure wave in the air. A microphone converts this

pressure wave into voltage changes. A sound card converts these voltage changes into digital samples. After analog

sound becomes digital audio, Adobe Audition can record, edit, process, and mix it—the possibilities are limited only

by your imagination.

13

Chapter 3: Workflow and workspace

Workflow

Workflow overview

Adobe Audition provides three distinct views, each optimized for unique audio workflows:

• In Edit View, you modify individual audio files, optimizing them for radio broadcast, the Internet, and audio CDs.

• In Multitrack View, you layer multiple audio files, mixing them together to create sophisticated musical composi-

tions and video soundtracks.

• In CD View, you assemble audio files and convert them into tracks on audio CDs.

With the integrated environment of Adobe Audition, you can move seamlessly between these views, simultaneously

editing and mixing files to create polished, professional audio. This integrated environment extends to Adobe video

applications, where you can easily incorporate Adobe Audition into comprehensive video-editing workflows.

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